1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a wrapping material indicator used to monitor whether wrapping material is being disbursed from a roll, and how much remains on the roll in various industrial applications, in particular in agricultural applications and specifically on rotobalers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing wrapping material rolls incorporate a red warning stripe that points toward either end of the roll. The wrapping material must be directly observed from the towing vehicle to allow an operator to establish whether material still remains on the roll, and whether it is being withdrawn during the wrapping operation. This type of monitoring requires the wrapping material to be directly visible to the operator, meaning the material roll is open and exposed to contamination by harvested crops, dirt, and other foreign objects. Moreover, when wrapping material has a homogeneous surface, such as netting, foil, paper and the like, it may be difficult for an operator to recognize the motion of the material.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for a wrapping material indicator, other than simply viewing the wrapping material itself, that prevents the intrusion of crops, dirt, or other debris and that allows the operator to reliably monitor the operational status of the material roll.